Improving the infrastructure associated with education statistics, mathematics and science education, and research is imperative if we are to benefit from policy decisions that are informed by expert knowledge and reliable data. Based on the experience from its current knowledge and reliable data. Based on the experience from its current NSF/NCES grant, AERA proposes a program of research and training designed to achieve two primary objectives: (a) to strengthen communications between scholars in the educational research community and government administrators and social scientists, and (b) to enhance the capability of the research community to conduct policy and practice relevant research that shape NCES and NSF missions. The program will consist of seven components: (a) a training program to increase the educational research community's capacity to work with NCES and NSF data sets; (b) a small grants competition to increase policy and practice-related research using NCES data sets, with a particular emphasis on mathematics and science data; (c) a visiting Senior fellows program at each agency; (d) a research fellowship program at NCES and NSF that will allow newer scholars to become involved in the design, analysis, and interpretation of data; (e) an annual think tank exercise to engage in strategic planning; (f) a University based evaluation and dissemination traineeship program, and (g) an invisible academy of highly technical researchers to undertake a sophisticated level of basic, policy, and applied research on a relevant issue.
